Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Good skiing/boarding can be found on sheltered NE aspects at treeline and above. Continue to avoid steep or convex terrain especially if there are terrain traps below, and enjoy the good skiing on lower angled well supported slopes.
Weather Forecast
A cold (-22C) night tonight with warm air pushing into the region Tuesday creating an alpine inversion with warmer temperatures up high. For the next few days expect a mix of sun and cloud, light west winds, and highs of -7C.
Snowpack Summary
Recent winds have created small wind slabs in the alpine which sit over the Dec 18 layer of crust, facets and/or surface hoar depending on the location. A poor bond exists at this interface. At the base of the snowpack weak crusts and facets exist which are also a concern.
Avalanche Summary
A skier triggered size 1.5-2 avalanche was reported last Sunday in the Wizard Chutes near Healy Creek at approximately 1900m. It started as a small wind slab near tree line and then stepped down to the basal facets. Other small skier and explosive triggered wind slabs have been reported by the local ski areas prior to the cold snap.
Confidence
The weather pattern is stable
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.